


Stay (I want you near like a shadow in my wake)

by the_lie_eternal



Category: Auf Streife
Genre: Angst, Blood, Gay Stuff, Hate, Hospital, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Revenge, Stabbing, Tears, another angst fic, policemen at work, relationship drama, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:34:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25219345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_lie_eternal/pseuds/the_lie_eternal
Summary: Ben and Erik thought that it would be a day like any other - until Ben's past caught up to him and hit him by full force.
Relationships: Ben Decker/Erik Stein
Kudos: 5





	Stay (I want you near like a shadow in my wake)

**Author's Note:**

> Stecker ftw. Linus from ASDS makes a guest appearance. I hurt boys.

I tried to push his warm body off my own but the result of that was him gripping his arms around me even stronger. It was almost noon, we actually had to get up to prepare for our shift but my boyfriend had a different opinion on that, it seemed.

"I don't want to get up." he murmured with a voice muffled by my chest as he was laying right on top of it.

"We have to go to work." I stated, trying to push him off again, which succeeded this time. Still, I took a moment to look at my lover before I got up from the bed. We had been awake for some hours already, spent in pure intimacy and passion. That's why Erik didn't want to get up, he was still exhausted by it.

"We make a deal." I exclaimed, reaching out my hands to pull him up. He raised his brows, only hesitatingly following my lead.

"If you're doing a good job today then you might get a reward once we're home again, alright?" I smirked, seeing the small light firing up in his eyes.

"Deal." he replied, almost too fast before getting up with me to get our stuff done.

I had just put on my boots as I felt a pair of hands against me, gently pushing me against my locker. Erik taking the lead was something I enjoyed more than I would admit but I was always ready to give myself to him. I stared into his green eyes, shimmering with passion as his gentle hands were found around my neck and soon after his soft lips on mine. I dug my hands below his vest, pulling him as close as I could when his tongue asked for entrance and I happily granted it. Erik smiled as I had to huff when he did his seemingly magic with his mouth, taking every last breath I had from me.

"Why are you like this?" I asked as he finally let go of me, brushing away the saliva from his lips.

"I love you, that's why." he whispered, pressing a short last kiss on my cheek before slowly heading towards the door, yet obviously waiting for me to come after him.

"I love you too, just that you know." I chuckled as I followed, observing a faint blush on my partners cheeks.

As fate was on our side that day, Erik and I ended up on the same patrol, strolling down the rather calm streets of Cologne. I didn't know if it was pure coincidence that we happened to be together or if the head of the shift didn't want to upset me as a Senior Chief Inspector - anyways I didn't mind it and could spend some quality time with my boyfriend.

"You're always tense when you're driving, ever noticed that?" Erik stated, feeling his grip on my thigh slowly tightening. He always had his hand somewhere on my leg when we were driving in the car, patrol car just as our private cars. I didn't even notice it anymore, as long as it made him feel safer I was fine with it.

"I have fragile cargo with me." I replied, receiving a slap onto my leg which made me laugh.

"Shut up, I'm not a weakling!" Erik complained, yet he knew that I didn't mean it serious.

"Don't underestimate my-" I started, yet being interrupted by the transmitter of our car.

"13/22 for 13/01." it reached our ears, I quietly sighed as Erik grabbed the small radio.

"Listening." he replied. I smirked, it was always hilarious to hear his voice turning serious all of a sudden whenever he was talking to civilians or colleagues.

"Trespassing at the old factory site in the south. Reporter is a certain Victor Goethe, security staff of the area. Check that out, please." our colleague explained, I gave my partner a nod as I pushed the turn signals to race off into the direction.

"Got it, on our way." Erik checked, storing the radio back in place. "Work is coming." he added, grabbing his gloves to put them on.

"Let's show them to never mess with Stein and Decker." I muttered with a smirk, making my partner laugh.

"How I love abandoned buildings, really a nice feeling." Erik complained as we were scanning the building for the fleeing suspect, our guns and flashlights firmly in our hands as we systematically checked every corner.

"Shut up, that's our job." I hissed back at him, finding myself standing in front of a staircase.

"You up, me down?" I nodded at Erik who now stood next to me.

"I'm really no friend of being parted with my patrol partner." he suggested, now turning towards me.

"We're done faster like that, do you really think that this guy who broke in here is still in the building?" I rolled my eyes, already slowly shifting towards the steps leading downwards.

"If you say so, Senior Chief Inspector." my partner sighed, going his way. Sometimes I had to play out my rank, even if it was in front of my own lover.

I swiftly rushed through the hallways, my feelings told me to get out of this building as fast as possible and I didn't want to challenge that. Last room done, I sighed and stored away my gun calmly. Let's check on Erik, I told myself, taking out my transmitter just to see that the transmission itself was dead. These old buildings made me crazy, I shook my head and walked back to where I came from.

"I didn't expect you to show up here, yet a nice surprise." a voice reached my ears, very familiar but I couldn't put a face or name to it. It was a woman, that's what I could tell.

"Police Cologne, who's there?" I shouted, firmly gripping my fingers around my pepper spray as I searched for the person with my flashlight, oddly enough not seeing anything or anyone.

"Your nightmare. I actually wanted to get my revenge after more planning but now that you're here already, alone ..." the voice approached me but the echo made it difficult to locate and just as I finally could make out a face in front of me, I already felt a heavy glass bottle shattering against my forehead.

"Annette?" I muttered as my view became blurry and I tried to stay on my legs, grabbing the person now standing in front of me by their shoulders. Please not her. Of all people I never wanted to meet again, she was at the top of my list.

"I see, you still want your hands on me, pervert." she hissed, slapping me across the face before I felt a little sting in my lower torso, not minding that further though as I mainly tried to defend myself. I pushed her away from me, yet still receiving another hit into my face that fully blew me off my legs. Once I landed on the floor the sting in my torso came back, and once I looked down myself I realized what just happened to me.

I heard a faint voice shouting my name, Annette cursing before she ran off, still my eyes were fixed onto the massive shard of glass that was sticking out of my uniform, surrounded by my clothes entirely soaking in blood. I gulped, breathing heavier as it came to me that she just stabbed me, that I was laying on the floor of an abandoned old factory building with a deadly wound in my abdomen while I watched some blood dripping down my face too. I felt dizzy and weak, I couldn't even scream for help.

Erik.

"Erik." I huffed as steps approached me again, at that point my vision slowly left me already, yet I fought against falling asleep. I would not die like this, I wanted to die like a hero, at least.

"Oh fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck." the familiar voice of my partner rang in my head and I had to smile. He could sense whenever I was in danger, that's how we met in the first place and that's why we ended up as lovers.

"Ben, Ben stay awake, stay with me!" he shouted, grabbing my hand. Maybe I could die like this, for him I would always stay a hero.

"The tr ... transm ... is dead. G ... go get he ... he ... help." I huffed, hoping that he wouldn't be his stubborn self in that moment.

"Ben, I can't leave you alone like this." Erik cried out, the panic in his voice well audible. I let out a pained sigh, feeling how the shard cut through way too many important things inside of me.

"I'm going to die ... without a doc ... go ... go, fast ... I will stay ... awake." I hissed, pushing Erik away with my last strength before I concentrated mainly on breathing and staying alive.

In and out. Deep breaths. Don't go into the light, don't focus on the pain. In and out again.

To die a hero ... who was considered a hero even?

_ I love you, Ben. They won't let me stay overnight, else I would be there every single second of the day. _

_ Mister Decker, how are you doing today? You're looking great ... ignoring the tubes and monitoring and stitches ... _

_ We need you back at the department. Your soul is missing from the leading panel. _

_ If he doesn't wake up soon we have to declare him dead. _

_ I need you, Ben. I need you back. _

I blinked heavily, getting used to the bright and uncomfortable light shining right into my eyes. I looked down myself, seeing all the tubes sticking into my body made me dizzy again. A huge bandage covered my abdomen, reminding me of the shard that was stuck in me what felt like just minutes ago. I sighed, thanking whoever saved me that I was alive.

"Sir, I'm glad you're awake." I heard from the other side of the room, seeing a person with a white coat entering. I huffed, not feeling like speaking at all.

"My name's Hoffmann, got that shard out of you and stitched you back together. Are you interested in the details?" the doctor asked, I heard my heartbeat rising by the beeping of the monitoring next to me. Even nodding was exhausting, yet I took my strength together to give the doctor an answer.

"You're lucky that the shard only scratched your liver and didn't stab it, else we would have worse problems now. It was nasty but we got you working again and your parameters are all in the green. We'll be watching you for a few more days in intensive care and if you're doing well you get to be in a regular bed again. Prepare to stay in here for at least two weeks, though. Also, don't even think about work in the near future, Inspector." he explained. I leaned back into my pillow, closing my eyes as I suppressed my tears. Why me, why not somebody else. Why her, of all people to murder me it would be her to try it. Hopefully the doctor would call Erik, I needed my mental support.

The sound of a door closing made me open my eyes again and seeing the face I loved with a huge smile on his lips too made me happy. Erik ran up to my bed, grabbing the hand that was not wired with tubes to firmly squeeze it and press kisses on it. I was still exhausted from everything, yet I could fight out a small "Hey." towards my partner.

Erik looked messy. His hair looked dirty, his beard totally ungroomed, his eyes surrounded by dark marks and I wasn't surprised that he was wearing his uniform. Snatched right from work, probably his patrol partner was waiting outside still.

"I'm so happy that you're awake." Erik was visibly fighting his tears, almost pressing all blood out of my hand as he couldn't hold it back anymore and started crying. I wouldn't judge him, seeing your own partner almost dying was too something I never want to experience.

"I love ... you." I whispered, feeling the warm tears too running down my face. Erik had been by my side daily, I heard his words, I heard his begs and prayers for me to wake up. He would've never gotten to cope with my death, that's what I knew.

"We have to find the guy who did this to you, I won't let someone who tried to murder my boyfriend walk freely in this world out there." Erik hissed, cramping his fist. I couldn't tell him that it was in fact a woman who did this, a woman I knew better than myself, at times. She was well aware that I was unable to report her to my colleagues, that's why she didn't mind that I survived.

I stayed silent on Erik's ramble, he didn't have to know.

"I want to lay in your arms again but the doc said that I would have to wait until you're off intensive care. I want to feel your lips on mine again ..." he muttered, now carefully brushing his hand over my messy beard, trying not to touch the tubes going in and out of my nose.

"How long ... have I ... slept?" I asked, my voice becoming weaker with every letter, I needed to nap again.

"Three and a half days. It felt like months to me. Look at me, I look like shit because I cared more about you than myself." he chuckled, giving me a smile through his flushed wet face from all the tears. I wanted to tell him so many things - how much I loved him, how thankful I was to have him - but I was too tired for that. The unbearable pain still sat in my bones and I would need rest.

"I ... tired." I whispered, hoping that he would understand that I didn't want him to leave but that I needed some rest. Luckily my partner wasn't dumb, other than his hair color might tell.

"Get some more rest. Knowing that you're alive and well is enough for now. Next time I'm here I will look better, I promise." he laughed, pressing a last gentle kiss onto my hand before I almost immediately fell asleep - dreaming of Erik as if never something horrible happened.

I was happy that Erik visited me frequently once that I was in a regular room in the hospital, I always felt uncomfortable and weird to ask the nurses helping me with stuff like going to the toilet or showering. Having a boyfriend who was used to seeing me naked was better choice in that matter, even if I felt quite confident about my looks. He was just done supporting my walk back from the bathroom when he stumbled and almost fell on top of me in my bed, luckily not catching himself by gripping my torso.

"Whoops." he chuckled, leaning over me with his face just mere centimeters away from mine.

"I want an apology." I pouted, carefully placing my hands in his neck. Without hesitation he leaned in, burying us in a handful of gentle and sweet kisses that warmed me up immediately.

A knock against the door ripped us out of our much needed semi-making-out session and I already missed Erik being close to me as he got up to open the door. As he came back, behind him I spotted some of our colleagues - Martin, Paul and Hannah. I wasn't quite in the mood for visitors except my partner but I guessed that I had no choice so I let it happen.

"Hey Ben! How are you doing?" it came from all sides and that overwhelmed me right away. Luckily Erik helped me, as always, calming them and telling them to take it slow. The hit on my head with the bottle apparently did greater damage than thought.

"I'm alive, I guess." I chuckled, pushing the buttons of my bed so it would support me sitting more or less upright.

"Come on, don't be such a pessimist. We're missing you, the workdays are so dull without you and Erik is a pain in the ass." Paul stated, I could hold my partner back before he even got the chance to hit our colleague because of that statement, I took it with humour.

"Be serious, you  _ are _ a pain in the ass when I'm not at work." I raised my brows at Erik, he sighed defeated and placed himself next to me. I didn't care that other people were standing in front of us, my body craved for Erik's warmth and I couldn't stand him being in the same room as me and not close to me.

"I saw you at the case, the way you almost peacefully laid there while your body looked as if it had been ripped in half. I thought that we lost you." Martin muttered after a while and it became silent in the room. I never really realized that people cared this much about me, I had been a single fighter for all my life.

"Erik updated us every day. We tried to keep him off the department but understandably he couldn't handle being home alone without you." Paul stated and I had to blush, I wasn't quite familiar with this weird feeling I had.

"Everything is ready, all the paperwork. The only thing that's left is you telling us once we're in uniform what exactly happened before you got stabbed." Erik said and it made me flinch again.

"Can we do that once I'm not bound to a bed and need help to piss anymore?" I sighed. Should I lie to them? That I wasn't fully aware that my crazy Ex of ages ago was the one trying to kill me for what I had done to her? I needed more time.

"The boss possibly won't like that but as you wish, everything for your health." Paul crossed his arms. They couldn't force me to do a testimony and would it be my own choice I wouldn't even want this whole crime to be persecuted.  _ She had all reasons to kill me, why not leave her in the thought that she succeeded? _

A stinging pain ripped me out of my thoughts and I hunched together all of a sudden, scaring both my friends and my partner, who was still sitting next to me.

"Fuuuck ..." I hissed, grabbing my torso exactly where my stitches were located. The sudden pain immediately shot tears in my eyes, but I wouldn't just cry like this on front of so many people - my tears were exclusively reserved for Erik.

I saw how Hannah rushed out of the room, probably calling for some medical staff while Paul and Martin stayed back and Erik tried to comfort me. It wasn't as easy by just calming down though, and I was glad that the doctor himself came into the room.

"He suddenly fliched together in pain, holding his wound." my partner explained as good as he could while audibly starting to panic. I couldn't hear my colleagues anymore, they probably already left the room to give me some privacy.

"Mister Decker, concentrate!" the doctor commanded and I tried my best doing that, now squeezing Erik's hands to get at least some hold somewhere.

"Let's see your stitches first. This could either be a simple aftermath of the wound healing or some cramps. I can help you with both, don't worry." he explained, pulling up my shirt to reveal the bandage around my torso. I squinted my eyes together, trying to think about good things as the bandage got removed. I couldn't look at it, I didn't want to see my wound for as long as the yarn was holding it together still. Instead I looked at Erik, who now knelt next to me, holding my hand with one of his while the other gently caressed my face. When I looked into his eyes, all that I saw was paradise and a place where I could lose myself for ages. Maybe that was the moment when I realized that I wanted to make him my husband, sooner or later.

"Good news, that's only an aftermath of your wound and the pain  _ should _ stop in the next few minutes. If it doesn't, call a nurse and they will give you painkillers." the doctor explained and I calmed down a bit already, impatiently waiting until he wrapped up my wound again and it was safe for me to look at myself again.

"Thanks." I huffed laying back into my pillow, exhausted from the happening. I waited until me and my partner were alone again before I pulled him close to me, pressing desperate kisses onto his lips.

"I love you, okay? Never forget that. Never." I whispered as we parted, making Erik blush in a deep red. He nodded, letting our lips meet once again.

I got goosebumps as I finally stepped into my flat for the first time in two weeks again, still a bit slow on my feet but at least more or less pain-free. I would have to stay off duty for at least another two weeks, after that I should listen to my body and don't overestimate myself. I hated it to rot in my own four walls but better this way than being back on the surgery desk in two days again.

It was odd, staring at myself like this in the mirror but I couldn't take my eyes off my torso. I heard how Erik entered our bedroom, visibly wondering what I was doing standing shirtless - only in my underwear - in front of the whole-body mirror we had against the wardrobe. I looked at the fresh scar, way too many thoughts in my head to grasp them when I felt (and saw) two arms wrapping around me from and a soft beard scratching over my shoulder, having Erik hugging me from behind.

"Hello handsome." he hummed, breathing some smooches onto my scarred shoulder. I sighed, not being confident about my good looks at all. It was in moments like these when I realized again how fucked up my skin looked like with all these healed stitches and scratches.

"Hey, heads up." Erik carefully began caressing my torso with his warm hands. "You are the prettiest man on the whole world for me, with or without scars. All I want is you being alive and well, I don't need anything else to survive."

I had to smile as I heard his words, how on earth did I deserve him as a partner.

"I'm glad we have our privacy back. I really missed these moments." I hummed, now walking towards our bed to lay down on it to rest, Erik obviously following me right away, carefully sitting down on my lap as I sat against the beds head end. We quickly found our arms around each other, drifting off onto the softest yet most passionate making-out session we ever had. I felt how Erik already tensed up, wanting more than just kisses and touches. An odd feeling spread inside my body as my partner began unconsciously rolling his hips, together with small sighs leaving his throat. A part of me definitely too wanted to sleep with him, yet the other was screaming and it made me so uncomfortable that I didn't really give in to my lover.

"Ben?" Erik asked confused as I entirely stopped touching him. Goddammit. I remembered her again, the blissful moments I had with her and how it destroyed her sanity. The next day I would have to do my testimony and I was sure that I somehow had to lie about the situation.

"Ben, hey?" Erik exclaimed, now shaking my shoulders to get my attention back.

"Sorry ... I think I just need some rest." I murmured, knowing that my partner wouldn't be satisfied with that answer but what else should I do? I wouldn't sleep with my boyfriend while the hateful image of a woman played in my head, that was way too wrong in any morally sense.

I blended out everything that Erik said to me, pushing him away from me to lay down on my side - the most comfortable position to sleep in. I cursed, well audibly ... but Erik had already decided to not bat an eye about me either and that was totally fine.

It felt more than wrong to sit in front of the office desk and not behind it - I was at work but at the same time I wore a simple shirt and jeans instead of my uniform. Meanwhile Erik was standing next to me - on duty and in blue - with crossed arms while Michael prepared himself to write down what I had to say about the whole issue. I hated this whole situation and wanted it to end immediately again.

"Alright, Mister Decker, first I need your ID card." Michael grinned at me and I rolled my eyes.

"Micha, you  _ KNOW _ who I am." I complained, crossing my legs as crossing my arms wasn't quite possible yet. The fellow Senior Chief Inspector chuckled, shaking his head "I know that's ridiculous but this is official matter, give me your ID."

"What else do you want, my debit card pin and my life insurance?" I hissed, receiving a pinch of Erik into my shoulder. "Just give him your ID, stubborn goat." he commanded and under internal protest I slapped my card onto the table, watching how both my colleagues giggled as they looked at the picture.

"Yes, I was cleanly shaven once. Now can we get this going, I want to be back on my couch as fast as possible." I growled.

"Alright, alright." Michael pulled himself back together, handing me back my ID to start the testimony. "Now you got to tell me everything that you remember. You know how it goes."

"I walked down the stairs, searched the hallways, found nothing and when I wanted to return to Erik I was attacked out of the dark. I don't remember anything else." I sighed, hoping the case would be closed with this statement.

"Come on, you're a policeman, you must've seen at least something." Micha raised his brows but I shook my head.

"Nothing. Pure surprise." I repeated, only then noticing how Erik eyed me with a wrinkled forehead.

"Ben, why are you lying? What happened in that hallway, why are you so different since it happened? You knew exactly who stabbed you, why don't you say it?" Erik murmured and I felt as if I was slapped in the face. It had been a bad idea to allow him to witness the testimony, of course he could tell when I was lying, he was my partner for quite some years already.

My gaze switched between Michael and Erik. I had to say it. I had to ruin her life even more.

"Erik, leave the room, please. I'll explain it to you once you're home." I murmured, pointing at the glass door of the office.

"You're sending me out?" my lover protested, but at Michael realized that I would only say something without Erik, he too said a word and our colleague left - not happy about the decision but what else should he do.

"Annette Hertel. Relationship crime. I don't want to say more about this matter but she stabbed me and she wanted to murder me and I am not angry at her." I murmured, covering my face in my palms. I knew that the next time we would meet - which probably wouldn't happen anymore - she would make sure to kill me entirely.

"Can I-" Michael wanted to ask but I blocked him off immediately.

"No, I'm going home now." I sighed, standing up and leaving the office, running right into Erik tensely waiting in front of it.

"Hey, hey!" he exclaimed, holding me back by my shoulder. I pushed him away, regretting my action with pain in my torso right away.

"When you're getting home, as I said!" I shouted, well audibly through the whole hallway, an uncomfortable silence following. Everyone in the department looked at us, colleagues just as visitors. Why would a mere civilian raise his voice against a police inspector in uniform, people must've thought without knowing that I was actually one of the heads of the department.

"Alright, fuck off then." Erik hissed, shoving me towards the exit to get rid of me and my negativity at our workplace. I obeyed, leaving without a greeting to finally get my much needed nap as my erratic movements caused me to have some pain again.

The sound of a door falling back in its lock ripped me out of my semi-sleep and I was surprised to hear a tired yet friendly "Good Afternoon" from my partner. I hummed, carefully pushing myself up to stand up from the couch, seeing Erik stumbling into our living room. It was impossible for us to be angry at each other for too long, we always ended up back in each other's arms - this time it wouldn't be different.

"Hey love." I hummed as I cradled my partner in my arms, receiving an exhausted yet loving sigh against my shoulder. Oh, how much I loved him ...

"Please, just tell me what happened to you and why you have been so changed since you left the hospital." Erik muttered concerned, now sitting next to me on our couch, cuddling.

"This will be a long story, are you sure?" I asked, knowing that he wasn't prepared for what I wanted to tell him at all.

"Let me know what's troubling you." he nodded.

It felt like I was talking for hours, I told him everything that led up to the point of the attempted murder by none less than Annette, a crazy girlfriend I had something like 20 years ago.

Starting from how I met her, how our relationship was horribly toxic from both sides, how we argued probably daily and destroyed each other with that. She robbed me my emotions while I took her sanity. We only got rid of each other as I realized that I had actually always been more into guys and met my "first boyfriend", with whom I only had a relatively short relationship but he changed my life and most of the views on it. Annette and I broke off every contact we had, always with the promise of her to cut my throat one day, when I least expect it. I always counted that statement as a mere joke - until the day she stabbed a shard of broken glass into my abdomen.

I cried out my eyes as I spoke, feeling how I could let go of this horrible burden of my youth now that I finally talked about it with someone. Erik was listening with great attention, comforting and supporting me the whole time. He understood why I reacted this negatively at the department and he wasn't angry any bit at me. I ended up laying in his arms, still sobbing as I listened to his calming breath and melted into the feeling that were his fingers brushing through my hair and over my back. It all would be over soon ... once I would be allowed to work again I could start a life without a massive ball of internalized hate inside of me ... a life with a man who hopefully would agree to spend the rest of it with me.

It took me three more weeks to finally be back at work, two to regain my strength and one to cope with the aftermath that was meeting Annette in court for the last time. I wouldn't have to care about her anymore, but it had been draining. Erik too took himself off some days to stay with me and cheer me up. I didn't deserve someone like him.

I was surprised that my uniform still perfectly fit me after five weeks of almost no exercise or whatsoever. It felt incredibly satisfying to be back at work, doing what I enjoyed and lived for.

Seeing all these smiling faces as I stepped into the department itself filled me with warmth and I couldn't wait to see Erik, who had been working the early shift while I was put into the late one.

"Senior Chief Inspector Decker?" a familiar voice greeted me as I was going through the files that had been rotting on my desk for all these weeks and I couldn't help to form a wide grin on my face as I saw who now stood in front of me.

"Inspector Stein, good to see you." I replied, raising from my chair to pull my partner close to kiss him.

"I have to tell you something." I hummed, trailing my fingers over his perfectly groomed beard.

"Go ahead." Erik mused, looking at me with his sparkling big eyes.

"Just to make sure before I get things going ... would you want to spend the rest of your life with me?" I smirked as I saw how his eyes lightened up and a smile formed on his face.

"Can you believe I wanted to ask you the same thing!" he chuckled and we hugged firmly. "Of course I would."

"It's going to be a race who's going to propose first." I joked, Erik agreeing with me. "I've went through hell with you, I would go even further." I added, pressing a gentle smooch on his forehead.

"I love you too, Ben."


End file.
